1. Field of Invention
A foam marking attachment to a lawn and garden tractor or tractor mounted agricultural implement spray apparatus attaches to a low voltage DC power supply of the tractor, applying a left or right side droplet of liquid marking foam to the outer edge of a traveled path, marking the traveled edge of application of a liquid spray from the spray apparatus, preventing over application to an area to be treated with the liquid spray and preventing non-application of the liquid spray the area to be treated with the liquid spray. The attachment may be used when applying liquid fertilizer, pesticide or herbicide to a golf course, yard, field, garden plot or other landscape area, and is used in place of colored spray or dyes which discolor the treated area and may be transferred to person, other objects or clothing. Primary use may be for golf courses and yards where people, clothing and pets often become discolored for an extended period after application of the currently used dyes and colored sprays, which are difficult to remove from skin, hair and clothing.
2. Description of Prior Art
The following United States patents were discovered and are disclosed within this application for utility patent. All relate to foam marking devices applied to implements and used for agricultural and horticultural purposes.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,651,908 to Borglum, a foam marking device comprises a first tank for containing a foam solution, and a second tank or tube mounted within the first tank, the first tank having a cap on the upper end, and the tube or second tank has a elongated slot along the tank or tube allowing the foam solution to enter the tube, evening the level of fluid in the first and second tanks, wherein an airstream is passed through a porous element in the bottom of the tube to generated bubbles passing upward in the tube above the solution level, passing the bubbles into a foam line exiting the first tank to be dispensed at a location. A second porous element is located at the end of the foam line to homogenize the exiting foam bubbles.
Another foaming liquid dispensing device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,866 to Hoang, wherein a reservoir containing a foamable liquid with a closed headspace above the liquid surface. A gas source disposes an air pressure into the close headspace. A mixing chamber having an inside diameter and an inlet and an outlet open to the outside air with a flow restricter having a plurality of openings in gaseous communication with the closed headspace. An air pump as the gas source introduces air into the headspace generating bubbles which flow through a filter into the outlet where the generated foam is dispensed.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,834, a marking foam system is disclosed having a connection to a power source to a compressor on/off switch, a solenoid control and a directional valve, an air compressor to generate compressed air which is directed through an air line having a check valve to a foam tube, a liquid foam material in a reservoir also directed through a liquid line by a liquid pump to the solenoid which further directs the foam material to the foam tube where the air and liquid are mixed producing a foam which is thus directed to yet another solenoid which may allow flow of the foam to a right or left dispensing tube to a dispensing nozzle.
Yet another foam marking system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,314,996 to Borglum which again connects to a power source, the system disclosing the power being direct to a master control which activates a fresh water pump, a slave control which activates a concentrate pump, and to an air compressor, further comprising a concentrate reservoir containing a foam concentrate directed through the concentrate pump to a mixing chamber, a fresh water reservoir containing fresh water directed through the fresh water pump to the mixing chamber, the mixing chamber then directed the mixed foam liquid to a foam head, which is further connected to the air compressor via an air line, where the mixed foam liquid and air combine in one or more foam generating chambers to form foam which is dispensed to one or more outlets.
The above disclosed systems all provide a much more complicated configuration for generating and dispensing a marking foam at a margin of sprayer application. The current invention simply comprising a three way switch connected to DC power supply, two small air compressors being connected to the three way switch designated as left compressor and right compressor, each compressor connected by an air line with a regulator and a check valve to a left or right foam header having a bottle engaging cap attached to a left or right bottle containing a foam generating solution, each cap having an inlet connector attached to the air line, the inlet connector further directed to a central air tube extending to a bottom of each bottle, the cap also having an outlet connector opening into a headspace above the foam generating solution, further connected to a left or right foam line which extends to a left or right end of a sprayer boom used to apply liquid spray materials for agricultural and horticultural use. When the three way switch activates the right compressor, air is generated by the right air compressor and supplied to the right bottle of foam generated solution through the right foam header, producing foam to the right foam line to the right end of the boom. The when the three way switch activates the left compressor, air is generated by the left air compressor and supplied to the left bottle of foam generating solution through the left foam header, producing foam to the left foam line to the left end of the boom. The operator may select which side margin is to be marked during the spray application.